Epic Brewing Company: Imperial Red Ale

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.072 FG = 1.015
IBU = 52   SRM = 21 ABV = 7.9%

Ingredients

9 lbs. (4.1 kg) Maris Otter 2-row pale malt
4.2 lb. (1.9 kg) Briess 2-row pale malt
17 oz. (0.48 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
17 oz. (0.48 kg) Weyermann Caramunich® malt (55 °L)
7 oz. (0.19 kg) Weyermann Caraaroma® malt (130 °L)
2 oz. (56 g) roasted barley (450 °L)
10.5 AAU Columbus hop pellets (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 14.2 % alpha acids)
3.25 AAU Mt. Hood hop pellets (40 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 6.5 % alpha acids)
1.44 AAU Cascade hop pellets (10 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 5.75% alpha acids)
5.25 AAU Centennial hop pellets (0 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 10.5% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Centennial hop pellets (dry hop)
½ tsp. Irish moss (last 30 min.)
½ tsp. yeast nutrient (last 15 min.)
White Labs WLP001 (California Ale), Wyeast 1056 (American Ale) or Safale US-05 yeast
3/4 cup (150 g) corn sugar (if bottling)

Step by Step

This is a single step infusion mash. Mix all of the crushed grains with 6 gallons (23 L) of 173 °F (78 °C) water to stabilize at 152 °F (67 °C) for 60 minutes. Sparge slowly with 175 °F (79 °C) water.

Collect approximately 6 gallons (23 L) of wort runoff to boil for 60 minutes. Add hops, Irish moss, and yeast nutrient as indicated. Cool the wort to 75 °F (24 °C). Pitch your yeast and aerate the wort heavily. Allow the beer to cool to 68 °F (20 °C). Hold at that temperature until fermentation is complete.

Transfer to a carboy, avoiding any splashing to prevent aerating the beer. Add the dry hops and allow the beer to condition for one week and then bottle or keg.

Extract with grains option:
Substitute the two varieties of 2-row pale malts in the all-grain recipe with 6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Muntons Maris Otter light liquid malt extract, 1 lb. 6 oz. (0.62 kg) light, dried malt extract, and 1 lb. (0.45 kg) Briess 2-row pale malt. Steep the crushed grain in 2 gallons (7.6 L) of water at 152 °F (66 °C) for 30 minutes. Remove grains from the wort and rinse with 2 quarts (1.8 L) of hot water. Add the liquid and dried malt extracts and boil for 60 minutes. While boiling, add the hops, Irish moss, and yeast nutrient as per the schedule. Now add the wort to 2 gallons (7.6 L) of cold water in the sanitized fermenter and top off with cold water up to 5 gallons (19 L). Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.